The Powerhouse Defense Attorney and The Prosecutor Wife
In the high-stakes world of Hollywood legal drama, few names ring louder than Alan Jackson. He is the pitbull defense attorney who has stood beside some of the most controversial figures in modern history, from Harvey Weinstein to Kevin Spacey and the polarizing Karen Read. But while Jackson chases headlines and acquittals for the rich and infamous, he is going home every night to someone playing for the other team. Meet Lisa Kassabian, his wife and a high-ranking Los Angeles Deputy District Attorney.
This is not a sitcom; this is a potential legal minefield. While Jackson is busy tearing apart prosecution cases in the courtroom, his better half is building them. For years, this power couple has managed to keep their professional lives separate, navigating the murky waters of Los Angeles justice from opposite sides of the aisle. But insiders are now whispering that this delicate balance may have finally snapped under the pressure of Jackson’s latest, most explosive case involving the son of a Hollywood legend.
The dynamic is bizarre. Jackson, the man who pivoted from prosecuting Phil Spector to defending the accused, is sharing a bed with a woman actively putting criminals behind bars in the Family Violence Division. It is the ultimate “sleeping with the enemy” scenario, and for years, it worked. Until it didn’t.
The Nick Reiner Bombshell: A Sudden Withdrawal
The rumor mill went into overdrive in January when Jackson made a shocking, abrupt exit from one of the biggest cases in Los Angeles. He was representing Nick Reiner, the son of iconic director Rob Reiner and Michele Singer Reiner, who is facing two counts of first-degree murder. This is the kind of case careers are defined by: a celebrity scion, a gruesome double homicide, and a media frenzy.
Jackson was in. Then, just a month after taking the reins, he was out. Gone. The withdrawal was swift and shrouded in mystery. Jackson didn’t cite a scheduling conflict or a difference in strategy. He dropped the vague, lawyer-speak bomb that he could not “ethically explain” his reasoning, citing “circumstances beyond his control.”
“Circumstances beyond his control? That screams conflict of interest. Someone got to him.”
Legal experts and courthouse flies immediately turned their eyes toward his wife. With Lisa Kassabian working as a Deputy DA in the very same county where Nick Reiner is being prosecuted, the dots are practically connecting themselves. Did the District Attorney’s office put the squeeze on Kassabian? Did an ethical wall crumble? When a defense attorney of Jackson’s caliber walks away from a paycheck and a spotlight this big, something massive is happening behind the scenes.
Inside The Marriage: Sleeping With The Prosecution
Let’s look at the timeline. Jackson and Kassabian tied the knot back in in a Santa Barbara courthouse wedding that likely had more legal brainpower in attendance than the Supreme Court. At the time, they were on similar trajectories. Jackson was a star prosecutor in the LA DA’s office, making a name for himself by putting music producer Phil Spector away for murder.
But then came the pivot. After losing the race for District Attorney to Jackie Lacey in , Jackson pulled a . He left the DA’s office in and went private, founding Werksman, Jackson and Quinn. He became the guy you call when you are in big, big trouble. Meanwhile, Kassabian stayed the course. She remained in the DA’s office, climbing the ranks and working in the grueling Family Violence Division.
This means for over a decade, Jackson has been fighting the very office his wife works for. Most of the time, conflicts are managed. Walls are put up. But the Nick Reiner case is radioactive. Rob Reiner is Hollywood royalty. The charges are heinous. If there was ever a case to shatter the “don’t talk about work at home” rule, this is it.
RELATED: New Twist in Karen Read Murder Trial as Alan Jackson Takes Center Stage
The “Ethical” Excuse: What Is He Hiding?
When Jackson spoke to Kelly Ripa on her Let’s Talk Off Camera podcast in January , he was practically sweating vague legalisms. He refused to give a straight answer about the Reiner exit, hiding behind the shield of “ethics.”
“Everybody’s got that same looming question, and I am compelled because of legal standards and ethical obligations; there’s certain things I simply can’t divulge,” Jackson told Ripa. He claimed the decision was “beyond Nick’s control” as well.
Let’s translate that from lawyer to tabloid: He had to quit, and he can’t tell you why because it involves privileged information or a direct conflict.
If the conflict was strictly about money or time, he could say that. The fact that he is legally gagged suggests the conflict comes from a source he is professionally bound to protect. Is it possible that his wife’s office possesses information that Jackson, as a husband, became privy to? Or conversely, did his representation of Reiner threaten his wife’s standing in the DA’s office?
“It has to be the wife. The DA probably told her ‘him or the job.’ You can’t have your husband defending the guy your boss is trying to fry.”
The timing is suspicious. He defended Nick Reiner briefly in court in December . By January, he was gone. That is just enough time for the DA’s office to review the file, realize who the opposing counsel was, and throw a red flag on the play.
A History of defending the Indefensible
To understand the tension, you have to look at Jackson’s client list. He isn’t defending shoplifters. He defended Harvey Weinstein in Los Angeles. He defended Kevin Spacey on sexual assault charges in Nantucket. He is the face of the defense for Karen Read, the Massachusetts woman accused of running over her police officer boyfriend.
These are cases that dominate the news cycle. These are cases that make prosecutors’ blood boil. And every night, he goes home to a prosecutor.
Lisa Kassabian keeps a notoriously low profile. While her husband is on TV explaining why his clients are innocent, she is in the trenches of the Family Violence Division, fighting for victims. The ideological clash must be intense. How do you reconcile defending alleged predators while your spouse prosecutes abusers?
Up until now, they have managed to keep it out of the press. But the Reiner case might have been the bridge too far. With two counts of first-degree murder on the table and a celebrity family involved, the scrutiny on the DA’s office is immense. They cannot afford a whiff of impropriety, and having the lead defense attorney married to a senior Deputy DA is a PR nightmare waiting to happen.
The Silence Speaks Volumes
What is most telling is what isn’t being said. Neither Jackson nor Kassabian has addressed the specific conflict rumors. Jackson’s statement to Kelly Ripa was a masterclass in deflection. He reiterated his commitment to Nick Reiner’s “best interest,” essentially saying, “I love the guy, but I can’t be his lawyer.”
Why? If he is committed to his best interest, the best thing would be to defend him. Unless his presence hurts the case.
If Jackson’s marriage was creating a conflict—for instance, if the prosecution team includes colleagues his wife works closely with—it could provide grounds for a mistrial or appeal later down the road. “Ineffective assistance of counsel” or “conflict of interest” appeals are a prosecutor’s worst nightmare. It is highly probable that Jackson stepped down to prevent the entire trial from becoming a circus about his marriage rather than the murders.
The Mystery of the Reiner Case Continues
With Jackson out, the Public Defender’s office has stepped in for Nick Reiner. That is a massive downgrade in terms of resources. You go from a high-powered, media-savvy private attorney to an overworked public defender. Jackson claimed Reiner would get a “robust defense,” but let’s be real: losing Alan Jackson is a blow.
The question remains: Did Lisa Kassabian have to make a choice? Or did Alan Jackson fall on his sword to protect his wife’s career? In the cutthroat world of Los Angeles law, power couples are common, but this specific alignment—high-profile criminal defense and high-stakes prosecution—is a ticking time bomb.
For now, Jackson is back to his other cases, and Kassabian is back to her files. But the abrupt exit from the Reiner trial has left a stain of suspicion that won’t wash away easily. The legal community is watching, and the next time Jackson takes a massive LA-based murder case, everyone will be looking to see if he stays on the ticket—or if the “ethical obligations” strike again.
RELATED: Inside the Rob Reiner Family Tragedy: Son Charged with Double Murder
Who Is Lisa Kassabian? The Woman Behind The Curtain
While Alan Jackson loves the cameras, Lisa Kassabian avoids them like the plague. Information on her is scarce, which is exactly how a prosecutor handling sensitive family violence cases wants it. We know she works in the trenches. We know she has been with the DA’s office for years. And we know she is the one person Alan Jackson can’t cross-examine.
Her work in the Family Violence Division puts her in contact with the most vulnerable victims in the city. It is heavy, emotional work. Contrast that with Jackson, who is often paid millions to find loopholes for the accused. It is a marriage of opposites that would make for a hell of a reality show.
As the Nick Reiner case moves forward without its star lawyer, the shadow of the Jackson-Kassabian marriage looms large. It serves as a reminder that in Hollywood, the biggest drama often happens before the trial even begins. Was justice served by Jackson stepping down? Or was it just politics?
One thing is certain: The Reiner family is down one superstar lawyer, and the theories about why are only getting louder.
